L'Amour Est Aveugle
by BLeigh93
Summary: Matthew Williams has always been shy and overlooked - his stutter and his attention seeking brother always kept him from speaking up for himself. One night he goes to practice hockey, by himself of course, but the local rink (which is normally empty after hours) is not empty this night. Who is this new girl, and why does Matthew feel there is something special about her? [CxOC]


**New story! Woohoo! This is my first story for Hetalia so please be gentle! But that doesn't mean don't give constructive criticism!**

**A/N: The girl's name is pronounced like "Isolde"**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia - Axis Powers**

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_9:56 PM, right on time. _

I opened my car door and got out, pulling a bag with my hockey gear in it behind me. I quietly closed the door and locked up my car, making sure the custodian who was leaving didn't hear or see me. Not that people usually saw me anyway, but one could never be too careful when trying to break in somewhere. My car was already obscured behind a bunch of trees, all I had to do was wait for this custodian's car to pull out of the parking lot and I was golden.

His engine started, headlights turned on, and he was soon pulling away. _Finally,_ I thought to myself. I moved from my hiding place and walked around to the back of the skating rink, coming to the back door like usual. I jiggled the loose handle a few times until the door jumped open and I was in.

So what was I doing at the ice rink after hours, by myself? I was practicing hockey of course. I really loved hockey, and I was actually an outstanding player, but being that I got looked over really easily (not to mention I was more than a little shy) I was doomed to forever play by myself. Hence the sneaking into the ice rink after hours – the only time I was confident I would be alone to practice.

I had really missed playing over the past few weeks. A new family had taken over the local rink when the previous owner passed away and they had been doing major renovations. Fortunately for me they had overlooked the loose handle on the employee's back entrance. I had been resigned to watching matches on TV to get my hockey fix. But my hockey hiatus was about the end tonight and I was itching to get my skates back on!

I entered the storage and equipment room and was about the flick on the light switch as I usually did, but the lights were already on. _That's odd, _I thought, _the custodian is slacking a bit, eh? _I shrugged it off though and followed the corridor, taking careful to step around all the equipment, out into the main area that held the rink. It was a small compound surrounded by a few metal stands for spectators and a concessions stand, and even with the renovations that had been completed it still looked like the rink I had grown up with over the years (just a little spruced up). But there was one new thing that immediately caught my eye – well, let me rephrase that…there was a girl skating around the ice.

I quickly ducked back around the corner, hoping she wouldn't see me. If I was shy around guys, I was even worse when around girls. Cautiously I peeked around the wall to watch.

She was figure skating; that was my first (obvious) observation. My second observation was that she was magnificent. My third was that she was really pretty. I couldn't handle pretty girls. I decided then and there it was time for me to leave – what was one more day's wait in the grand scheme of things, right? Well, the world had other plans.

As I stepped back, my leg hit a ladder. Said ladder went tumbling to the ground, making a loud clatter.

"Who's there?" I heard a feminine voice call from the ice.

I froze. _What do I do now? I don't want her to think I'm spying on her! I don't want her to freak out! Maybe she won't see me if I try to escape?_

I decided my best bet was to make a run for it, but in the space of a few seconds I had forgotten the ladder on the ground and of course I tripped over it. I went sprawling, knocking over a tower of buckets and some cleaning supplies in the process.

"I said, who is there? If you don't come out now, I am going to call the police!" the voice (was that a French accent?) called out again.

"I-I'm sorry, hold on...I'm – umm – I'm coming out…d-don't w-worry there is no n-need to call the p-police…I was just c-coming to practice hockey b-but you were here already…" I hobbled out, rubbing the back of my head where a bucket had fallen on it. I started rambling trying to get the girl to calm down – or maybe I was trying to calm myself down. "I d-didn't w-want to interrupt-t you, so I th-thought I would l-leave b-but then I knocked over a l-ladder and then I t-tripped and b-buckets and supplies and ouch my head hurts b-but you looked r-really good out there, n-not that I was w-watching b-but I was and…woah I n-need to sit d-down."

I fell onto the nearest bench, clutching my throbbing head. "How d-do you d-do this Matt? W-why d-do you always m-make a fool of yourself, and th-there always h-has to b-be a p-pretty girl ar-round to see it-t all…" I was talking to myself again when I heard a small giggle from a few feet in front of me.

"Do not worry, I will not call the police. I was startled, that is all." I looked up to see the girl leaning on the ledge of the rink before me. I must have looked nervous – of course I looked nervous – because she smiled and said, "Now, do not be afraid, I will not bite. What is your name?"

"M-me?" I responded, pointing to myself. She giggled again.

"Whom else would I be talking to?" she covered her mouth, trying to stifle another bout of giggles.

"Uh…I'm M-matt. W-well, M-Matthew Williams."

She stuck her hand out, slightly off to the side of me, which was odd, but I took it hesitantly anyway. "I am Iseult, Iseult Bonnet. It is very nice to meet you Matt well Matthew Williams."

We shook hands quickly, then she let go and my heart sank. What was I supposed to do now? I was horrible at making conversation. Fortunately for me, she picked up where she had left off.

"So what brings you to the rink after hours?"

"I n-needed to p-practice my hockey," I replied.

"And so you felt the need to break in and practice by yourself?" she asked curiously as she stretched her arms behind her.

"Y-yeah, th-there's too many p-people here d-during the day," I blushed and looked down. _I must sound like a complete fool. Who practices hockey by themselves? _Then I thought, _why is she here by herself after hours?_

I concluded she was a mind reader because she faced me and point blank said, "You are probably now wondering what I am doing here alone after hours."

"M-maybe I was?" I shrugged.

"It is ok. My family owns the rink. I have a spare key," she smiled, then faltered and paused. "How did you get in here by the way?"

I blushed again. "The b-back door's handle is l-loose."

"Hmm, I will make a note to tell my father to get that fixed."

My heart sank again. How was I supposed to get in to practice if the door was fixed?

We fell into an awkward silence. Iseult looked around intensely, a look of confusion crossed her face momentarily but it vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared. She skated halfway down the rink and stopped by what I assumed was the exit and entrance too and from the ice, fumbling around with the latch before it opened in her hands and she stepped out. She sat down on the bench closest to her, swiftly untying her laces and pulling her skates off, before tying them together and slinging them over her shoulder. She slowly walked back over to me and sat down, reclining back onto the bench behind her.

I took this brief interlude to look Iseult over. She was slightly taller than average, maybe about 5'6" or 5'7", with light brown hair that was currently tied back into a bun. I had seen her eyes when we were shaking hands, they were such a light blue that they were bordering on silver – but that might have been because there appeared to be a glassy sheen over them. She was muscular, but not overly muscular, the typical body type of a figure skater. Overall, Iseult was very attractive and I had just realized how closely she was sitting next to me.

"I do not mean to pry, but do you always stutter, or is it brought on in nervous and stressful situations?"

I blinked, taken aback by her abrupt change in topic. I sighed. I knew she would ask about it eventually, everyone always did. "I always s-stutter. I h-have since I w-was v-very little," I replied as per usual.

"Oh, I see," she looked suddenly guilty. "I am sorry for being so blunt. It is something I have to work on. I did not mean to embarrass you in any way."

"I-it is alright. I d-do not m-mind." I really didn't. I was used to talking about it at this point. My stutter was most definitely one of the reasons that I was so shy. Not to mention my attention seeking, outspoken, ladies man, "hero" brother Alfred. He and I were the best of friends, don't get me wrong, but I was always in his shadow and it didn't look like I was coming out of it any time soon.

Iseult suddenly looked around in confusion again.

"A-are you a-alright?" I asked her, a little worried.

It was her turn to sigh. "Yes, I just cannot seem to remember where I left my bottle of water."

Across the rink I spotted a bright blue bottle sitting on the ledge. I tapped her on the shoulder as she was currently faced away from me, still searching.

"I think i-it is over th-there," I pointed in the direction of the bottle.

Iseult sighed again. "Would you mind getting it for me Matthew?"

"Sure," I shrugged, not exactly knowing why she was unable to get it herself, but I did not mind. I was again used to getting things left behind by Alfred. I got up and walked around the outside of the rink until I had come to where her water bottle was sitting. I grabbed it and began my walk back when something suddenly hit me, something that would explain a lot: the reason she had missed me with her hand, the reason she had looked confused when she couldn't find the exit and fumbled with the lock on the rink door, the reason she couldn't find her bottle and had asked me to go get it, the reason her eyes looked so glassy.

I reached Iseult and handed the bottle to her, hoping my question wasn't too forward.

"Iseult, a-are you b-blind?"

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**So what do you think so far? Are you going to keep reading? Review and let me know!**


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